Cogs and Butterflies
by Aura
Summary: Emily is caught by Jindosh instead of killing or disabling him. He wants her to accept him to her side and offers his services to the crown in return for a pardon and title. Emily x Jindosh - strangely I didn't see a character entry for Kirin in the character list. Rating may rise in future depending on where the plot takes me.


**Chapter One:** **Writing on the Wall**

 _"I'm prepared for this, I never shoot to miss. But I feel like a storm is coming. If I'm gonna make it through the day then there's no more use in runnin'. This is something I gotta face."_

 **-Sam Smith,** ** _Writing on the Wall_**

 _Excerpt from the Journal of Kirin Jindosh –_

 _I've always known the nobles had expensive tastes in their ivory towers but it's not too often that they cost me so much personally. Emily Kaldwin made it further into my home than I am comfortable with and I have since improved several security measures and reassigned the guards so obviously lacking in perception to more suitable duties. My personal clockwork soldier's put her down but not before she destroyed one and damaged the other to the point that it was cheaper to scrap it for parts than repair it. She reached my laboratory before she was brought down and put into isolation in the cell where I'd been keeping Sokolov. I've since relocated my old teacher and had to deal with no less than two escape attempts. How am I supposed to get work done when I have so incapable a staff that I deal with every issue personally?_

 _The empress, she has some mystical aspect to her, something stronger than what Ashworth can do but weaker than Delilah – at least by my initial estimations. The mark on her hand isn't a tattoo by any means and it matches a few of the arcane symbols I've seen in Ashworths collection. Something to do with the Outsider. I've seen too much of the magical essence they command to discount it as the fools at the Academy do. How many years have the Overseers hunted those that would use magic? Yet, they remain, a sign of the strength of this 'arcane art'. Still, as I have no way of measuring it just yet, wisest to remain wary of what is unknown._

 _Emily has some way of augmenting her mass and slipping free of bonds. I have since augmented one of the old overseer music boxes and drugged her heavily. This appears to have interfered with her ability to use her abilities. I've started taking samples of her blood. The blood has yet to show any results different from my skittering, generally worthless, staff. Her personal strength has started to wane, or at the very least the sleep and lethargy inspired by the drugs have kept her from being able to continue her protests. All the same, I bring one of my newest personal soldiers with me each time I visit to check on her health. Whenever my new prize becomes coherent enough to speak reasonably I'll have to discuss terms with her. There is much I'm owed for all she's destroyed. If she refuses my offer then at least her presence may finally break Sokolov of his resolve…the old man knows exactly what I'm willing to do to reach my goals after all._

 ** _Emily Kaldwin -_**

Everything was simultaneously uncomfortable and fuzzy. My limbs, no my whole body, felt heavy. I was aware of my mild consciousness but I couldn't even get my eyes to open, not at first. I had to fight to stay awake. Had I gone overboard with too much Tyvian wine at some event or party? No, this wasn't my bed and my head hurt but it didn't ache from a hangover. There was also the cold firm surface nearby, as I felt with my fingers I thought it must be some sort of metal. I was somewhat upright but I was held down, my hands and legs were firmly tethered, I couldn't move them not because of lethargy but because they weren't going to move while I was roped down. That was when the past weeks caught up with me in a flash of visions. I was very far from my comfortable room at the tower, Delilah had taken that. I was out trying to earn it back…

Jindosh…I had gone to his clockwork mansion. That was the last thing I could clearly remember, which didn't bode well for me. I had to have been drugged somehow. Struggling I opened my eyes to look around. I was in a strange chamber with no windows or doors that I could see but lots of detailed woodwork in the walls. I could presume it was one of the many walls that moved at the flip of a switch here. I was strapped down to a sort of stretcher turned slightly upright and there were wires coming out of my left arm and going back behind me where I couldn't see them. I stared a moment in surprise. My arm didn't hurt…probably not a good sign all the same. There was a tray of surgeon tools nearby and a cot not far from that with some paints and an empty canvas. Paints…why would there be paints here?

Sokolov, my old teacher, he liked to paint. That's why I was here. To search for him.

This is where he'd been brought by the Crown Killer. I didn't see anyone else however. This was some sort of prison then? I pushed against my bonds but nothing happened, they were too much for me to just get out of…I tried to call on my powers to change into a shadow form. Yet, my mark didn't even flicker with energy. I couldn't use the Outsider's abilities to break free. I felt weak but it was more the unfocused fog that made me want to just go back to sleep. I was very tempted to do just that when I heard a voice that was all too familiar. An image of the sound stalking after me through the clockwork halls flittered through my mind before sparking into darkness…I'd certainly heard it before.

Kirin Jindosh was alive. My plan had failed.

"Emily Kaldwin, my sensors have picked up movement. Your consciousness will be fleeting for a time, better if you don't try to escape and hit your head again. I'll be there to see you soon." Jindosh's voice made my hairs stand on end. He was very matter-of-fact in his statements. I'd tried to escape before? Why couldn't I remember that? The last thing I recalled clearly was moving past his entry hall and the warning he'd left there. What was his plan? He hadn't killed me so I supposed he must have some reason for it. There were enough of my wanted posters everywhere in Karnaca to know that it would be considered a crime under Delilah's new rule to keep me here.

So, was there some sinister plot? What was he doing with the wires in my skin? One of them was a deep red color, was he draining my blood? Was I to be some sort of test subject like the ones that had gotten him kicked out of the Academy? Was it in secret or was it by Delilah's behest? My panic at the notion of my capture had helped clear my head but I was still exhausted. Why couldn't I remember being caught or trying to escape? Had I hit my head like he said? It certainly felt painful even with the drugged haze so I wouldn't be surprised. Dammit, I'd come this far and now what? I was not going to be able to save my father after all? What of Dunwall? How long had I been down here?

Was this all Emily Kaldwin was capable of?

I was already getting tired again, Jindosh hadn't lied about that. I couldn't keep my eyes open, and as much as I wanted to protest my consciousness was fading too quickly for me to do so, aloud or otherwise. It wasn't until a loud mechanical swirl echoed around me that I managed to tear my eyes open again. The room was rising…no the wall was lowering…the reports had not been lying about Jindosh's mansion being something of his design. I remembered other walls that moved with clockwork whirls and electric hisses…I would have been impressed if I wasn't drugged and fearful for my life or whatever hell he had in store. As the wall lowered Jindosh was there, one of his mechanical monsters standing near the entry to my little square, there were more rooms around mine but I didn't see more than many extra walls and no doors. Could those walls rise and lower too then?

"You are an impressively stubborn woman, I expected to find you unconscious again by the time I arrived." Jindosh stated, he wasn't looking at me though…he had paused near my side and was looking at the wires in my arm and whatever they connected to behind me that I couldn't see. He walked past me and I could hear him clicking a few buttons. "Are you finally ready to talk?"

"Why should I talk to you?" I spat out with less venom than I hoped for. It was difficult to sound like a lion when you felt like a dying kitten. My mouth felt dry and must have sounded it for after a bit of movement he held a cup of water to my lips. My first thought was to spit it at him but I didn't have the energy so I drank while he was being so cordial, I couldn't know if his good temper would remain. I knew less about Jindosh than I would like but what I could remember of my short search of his home told me he wasn't a man possessing incredible patience.

"There we are…you are getting a bit dried out down here even with us being on the coast. The dusty basement doesn't appear to agree with you." He remarked, one of his fingers lingering on my lip. If I had more energy I probably would have taken the digit with me. As it was, I knew what he meant, my lips were dry, cracking by the feel of them. If he could see it, then it was probably bad. "I'll have to speak to the staff, I've told them to take care of your body."

"Nursing me back to health?" I quipped with all the sarcasm I could muster. He offered a half smile at my remark, the thin kept mustache below his nose seeming to twitch with the motion. His face was more clear of blemishes than most in our society. He probably would have been attractive if it wasn't for the strange choice of facial hair and the being a psychopath thing.

"That's up to you." He answered with a small shrug. "Did you forget my offer as well? Hmm, I'll have to recalibrate the machines…they're using too much brute force if there is this much memory damage."

So that's how I hit my head then…but he'd ordered his machines not to kill me? Why?

"You look as lost as a fool in a mathematics class." He remarked at my expression, intelligent eyes watching me keenly. "To give a swift summary. I offered my services to you as opposed to Delilah, and you answered in a way very unbecoming of an Empress."

I couldn't argue that my first inclination was to laugh or mock such an offer, but given the circumstances I wasn't sure I could refuse him outright. Obviously, I'd done that before and it hadn't worked out, I had to be adjustable if I wanted to get out of here. I'd lied to people before after all, I had to frequently, that was the center of politics. I frowned all the same, not sure what to say I went for a way to buy myself a few more seconds. "Can I have another drink of water?"

He perked a brow slightly at my request but didn't refuse, setting the glass against my lips with more care than I imagined him capable of. Then the ability for a light touch should be surprising when I considered the creatures he made, the work he did took a lot of skill and control. I took several more swallows and before I'd realized it I'd finished the glass. He was calmer than I expected about indulging my request. When I finished the glass, he walked out of sight again and I heard him moving something before speaking. "I'll need to speak with Anise tomorrow, leave her a note. Bring a pitcher of water, glasses, and some fruit. Leave them outside."

I really hadn't expected him to be this relaxed after some of the notes and journal's I'd read about his 'sensibilities'. Some of my memories about stalking through his manor were returning now that I had more focus. He returned to standing in front of me and I managed to speak. "Okay, so you say you want to talk to me about working with me, and clearly you are pretty insistent…but why? Can you let me out of here? You have your machine."

"I apologize for the precautions but you've already destroyed two of my soldiers and I expect your intentions for me weren't amiable had you reached me as well." He replied in his strangely polite manner. I had to admit I didn't expect him to let me out but the way he refused was unexpected. He continued to explain his reasoning. "I realize my turning on Delilah must not seem likely to you but I have several reasons for doing so. More important are the reasons you should take me up on my proposal to help you."

I realized after a moment of quiet that he was waiting for me to answer. I wanted to nod but I just pressed my head into the strap across my forehead. Either way I at least wanted to keep him talking so I might be able to get out of here. I wasn't completely placating him, while I didn't agree with Jindosh's methods I couldn't argue that he was effective. "Okay, so what reasons are those?"

"The primary reason would be that you cannot succeed without help. Even assuming you somehow escape if you couldn't get me here you won't escape the small army of my soldiers owned by the Duke. Secondary to that, and in hopes of providing some sense of security for both of us, it is becoming clear that Delilah is wholly incapable of her position. She is destroying the capital as far as news that I've heard and as far as I can tell the Duke and Ashworth both back her in her madness. Much of the downtown area of your hometown has been abandoned outright, most that didn't flee are dead or working for the witch."

"Are you serious?" I frowned at him. "How long have I been asleep down here? I mean, since you first got me?"

"You've been here for nine days." He answered.

I was less than pleased by this. He didn't seem like he was lying. If anyone in Karnaca would have reports about the areas with Delilah and her other allies it would probably be one of her current 'allies'. Was he really considering betraying her?

"So, you said you'd help me if I agreed to your terms. How would you help and what do you want?" I pressed for more information. I hated to agree to anything with this snake, but sometimes you must make your enemies your allies.

"I can offer you inside information. If they thought I had plans to betray the Duke the men he lent to the estate would be up in arms instead of providing protection. The mystics still have weaknesses, there are devices that are rumored to interrupt the magic of witches once used more frequently by the overseers. They're clunky, loud, and entirely inelegant but I've been working on making smaller, portable, and of greatest note, less conspicuous versions of the device by augmenting the music to play at a pitch beyond human hearing. In considering your own connection to the 'arcane' I'm also working on a design that will allow you to turn it off and on easily so you can use your abilities or not as you wish. I've only got a prototype at the moment but I'm still working on something more permanent. The prototype appears to be working judging that you haven't slipped free again."

Those large music boxes the overseers used to carry about making a racket? I remember them from when I was younger but they fell out of common use with the abbey given people's dislike of the sounds they played. I didn't hear those sounds now so he'd managed to augment the design that quickly? No. He was a genius but not superhuman, he had to have already been planning to defend himself against Delilah and the other witches at her disposal then. With or without me. Yet, he could interfere with the abilities of the Outsider or the void with his new machine. I couldn't call on my mark at all, it may as well have just been drawn on my hand. That could be useful…I hated to admit it but listening to Jindosh and seeing his work first hand working with him instead of against him sounded reasonable enough.

"Okay, it still sounds a bit like foreign dignitaries bringing gifts. Why should I trust you after you betrayed the Empire? Not to mention you haven't even said what it is you want in return for me working with you. I assume a pardon for you helping to create this issue in the first place." I remarked, I was feeling a little clearer after the water and time awake. I was nowhere near a hundred percent but holding a conversation was getting easier.

"I only offered my genius to those that would recognize it. The Duke could have bought several of my soldiers and accomplished his goal without me." He waved a hand as though dismissing the thought that he was at all to blame for this mess. "I want to be instated as the Grand Inventor of Dunwall, recognized by the crown with you as my personal patron. I also want you to convince that old goat to work with me on a more affordable design of my soldiers. In return, I'll secure the tower against this sort of coup in the future with my designs and soldiers. It doesn't particularly matter to me who uses my army as long as it gets made and I'm the one recognized for it."

"Why should I believe you won't just turn on me and Sokolov after you have your answer? You have no reason to be loyal to me over the conspirators." I had to ask, I wasn't stupid. The idea of this man being able to mass produce those mechanical monsters was frightening. While it could have been useful at my command I wasn't sure I'd want to see this terrible sort of creation at all. After all, he was the maker, and he could promise the soldiers to anyone but only he had the ability to actually control them.

"I have no reason to do so. While I may owe my fellow conspirators as you call them, I have no reason to trust them. I've seen what they're willing to do to those that outlive usefulness." Jindosh answered with a shrug at my concern. "Abele may have been a patron but he asked me himself to kill Hypatia if she grew too knowledgeable about her other half. If his allies are so disposable I'm not fool enough to know that if they somehow got another scientist under their sway that they wouldn't cast me out just as quickly once I build them this army."

It was reasonable, cold and calculating but reasonable…

"Why would you think I would listen to you and not do the same thing?" I asked. He wasn't an idiot, he must have considered the possibility.

"I have the devices you need to slow any future attempts at your empire, if not stop them outright. You don't remember all you've seen of my manor but it was formidable enough to eventually stop you from your goal. I can provide you security, which I expect will extend to your decimated people in these uncertain times. Besides, you seem less willing to betray your word once given than Delilah does." Jindosh reasoned, his tone light and almost carefree. He was very certain of his points. "Like in any deal, we each have to take on a certain amount of uneasy trust to move forward."

"That's easy to say when you aren't the one that's strapped to a table." I remarked. Still annoyed at my predicament. I hated to admit he was right…I didn't really want to lie to him and then just stab him in the back. I could, it wouldn't be too much to convince him I would go along with his plan then remove him …but where would that leave me? I couldn't get through his security here to get to him and Duke Abele and Delilah were each bound to have even more dangerous things around them. If the Outsider's mark alone wasn't enough would it be wrong to ally with Jindosh?

Sokolov hadn't exactly been a moral compass in his youth either, I'd heard the stories from my father. I'd seen him thrown into a cell and forced to help us then. Was this that different? A blow to my personal pride but all the same turning away a genius inventor with an army of machines was difficult for an empress looking to get her crown back. I didn't have much of a choice either way. Even if it turned into a lie, I had to agree to his terms to have any chance of getting Dunwall back or saving my father…it was the only way to get off this table and out of these bonds.

"What else? Do you want anything else?" I asked. "We have to agree on terms of service. I would never agree to you experimenting on people."

"Under what circumstances? If you ever wish for some form of medicinal design it would be difficult without living subjects. Consider details and we'll discuss. I'll be back momentarily with the food and water I ordered." He pointed out to me. He didn't even blink at my words, he wasn't insulted that I implied he would test on people cruelly. He was just looking for exact terms of our agreement.

I watched him leave, but the mechanical soldier remained. It's hollow eyes watching me with a faint electric glow from inside the elongated skull design he'd used. They were more frightening coming at me, but still unsettling just watching me in my prison. It was impressive though, I had to admit…psychopath or not what Jindosh was capable of was beyond most inventors. His designs improved by Sokolov would be a terrifying prospect…but could I even convince Sokolov to help us? I doubt he would consider Jindosh with any fondness after being kept his prisoner for all this time. Still…he was my old teacher, and he wanted to help me. It wouldn't be the first time he aided me after being kept in jail. I just had to hope that Jindosh planned to keep to his side of all of this and it wasn't just a trap to get my enemies their army faster.

I sighed, and shut my eyes. The adrenaline was passing so I was growing more exhausted by the moment. I didn't like this, but I didn't see another choice. I was going to have to come to terms and work with Kirin Jindosh after I failed trying to kill him.

 **End Chapter**

I felt bad for Jindosh when I played the game. The 'low chaos' choice is totally worse than death. I mean I know he's not a nice guy – but as I pointed out Sokolov wasn't really either. I have wanted to write this for a long time but only recently got the time. I don't know if I should keep going or just leave it as a one-shot but I really liked the idea of Jindosh choosing to work with Emily should he capture her.

 _-Aura_

 _P.S._ I actually wrote this some time ago and totally got distracted with life/forgot to post it. Not sure if this will be very long or what not but figured I'd share all the same.


End file.
